So, I just got back from the Back Bay Chorale's performance of Mendelssohn's Elijah.
It was quite exciting!
The chorus were the champs of the evening. They were extremely technically solid, and very expressive and intense. They really carried the entire piece. The weight of their accomplishment would seem to require more words, but I can't think of anything else to say other than "Well done." The orchestra was OK, although at the start of a couple of movements they were dragging behind the conductor, and took a few measures to find the tempo. The soloists were all exciting in their own way. The tenor, Yeghishe Manucharyan, was quite good. It's not exactly the biggest tenor showcase ever, but he has a lovely and lyrical voice. The alto, Gigi Mitchell-Velasco, was also quite good. In the first half she just sings the part of "Angel" and the writing is a bit bland, and I was not particularly wowed, but then in the second half she sings Jezebel, and that was GREAT. She really sunk her teeth into that bit. And her "Angel" aria in the second half, "O rest in the Lord" was just lovely.
There was DRAMA concerning the soprano. Apparently the original soprano had to back out last weekend or Tuesday or something (owing I am guessing to illness, but I am not sure.) So they found a soprano to take her place...who had to cancel last night due to laryngitis. So the soprano they finally found, Anne Harley, they found TODAY. You never would have known - she was excellent. And doing accompanied recitative on no rehearsal is not easy, either!
And the baritone. Richard Zeller. Mr. Zeller's bio says, "He is known for his beautiful dramatic voice and presence as well as his outstanding musicianship" which in my opinion pretty well covers it. However, he was responsible for giving everyone a near heart-attack in the first half. During one of Elijah's recitatives, he started a phrase "And --" and then abruptly cut off. Nobody knows what happened, but a friend sitting near the front of the stage says he seemed to choke a bit, so it may have been vocal (rather than brain freeze, which is the only other explanation I can think of.) There was a painful silence, with the conductor frozen, waiting (and that must have taken nerves of steel, I hope that doesn't happen to me on the podium) and then he went on. It was a painfully stressful moment - as soon as it happened every muscle in my body tensed and I was abruptly pushing hard against the back of the seat until he continued.
But my man Zeller recovered and more - he hit the rest of his performance out of the park. He was a splendid Elijah. His two arias in the second act in particular were really special. There are times during a performance when something touches you and you know that you are part of the audience, and you are all being touched together in the same way, and something really special is happening. And then there are times when the music touches you and you know it's personal, that only you are responding that way at that moment. Both types of moments are equally special in different ways. The first aria, "It is enough, O Lord" was an example of the first - it was the emotional high point of the performance. But the second, "Though the mountains shall depart," felt as if it reached out to me personally - it was just so lovely, and such a giving, gentle performance. I don't generally feel a great deal of affinity for Mendelssohn, but I could feel Zeller's performance of that aria physically chipping away at my opinion, and changing my Mendelssohn attitude permanently for the better.
All these bits and pieces I'm reporting don't really give the full impression of the evening. This was a huge piece. A Happening. An Event. And I stayed engaged through the whole two-hour-and-45-minute performance, which is Impressive. Part of that is the composition - for all its length, Elijah really is pretty tightly constructed and composed. But partly credit for that has to go to the conductor. Scott Jarrett established excellent pacing through the whole thing, he consistently maintained emotional intensity with his musicians, and his conducting was expressive and fluid and clear. He used a stick during the first half, and no stick during the second, which I found interesting; I think I preferred no stick, because his conducting seemed a bit more organic that way. I do really wish that he wouldn't mouth all the words (especially at his soloists!!!) But he did a fine job leading a large cast through a grand and exhausting evening of stellar music-making.
Have a drink, Mr. Jarrett (and pat yourself on the back for finding that soprano at the last minute) - you deserve it!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Weekend Concert Calendar, 5/29/08
Your choices for this weekend are not overwhelming in quantity, but delightful in quality!
Friday:
Top pick goes to the Back Bay Chorale's performance of Elijah, starring Richard Zeller, Elijah; Elizabeth Keusch, soprano; Gigi Mitchell-Velasco, mezzo-soprano; Yeghishe Manucharyan, tenor. There is a pre-concert lecture at 7:00 pm by Ann Howard Jones, director of choral activities at BU. The concert will be at Sanders Theatre at 8:00 pm. I'll be there - come say hello!
Also that evening the Boston Choral Ensemble presents Randall Thompson's Peaceable Kingdom and also the winner of their Annual Commission Competition. This will be at 8:00 pm at First Church in Cambridge. They will repeat this program on Sunday, June 1 at 2:00 pm at St. John the Evangelist in downtown Boston. I will note that the Friday concert is $20 a head, and the Sunday concert is free. (So if you go Sunday, be nice and make a donation!)
Saturday:
Tough choice tonight! At 8 pm at Symphony Hall you can hear the Boston Pops Gospel Night featuring Oleta Adams and the Boston Pops Gospel Choir. That looks pretty awesome to me.
But instead I will be going to hear Le Mystere de Voix Bulgares and very excited about it I am, too! They will be at the Church of the Covenant in downtown Boston at 8 pm. Here is their website. I have never heard them live, but the sound on their recordings is thrilling. You can listen to sound clips on their website. Damn, that sound just hits me like nothing else.
Sunday:
Chorus pro Musica (in concert - ha! - with Concert Opera Boston) will present Bizet's Carmen. Featuring Victoria Livengood as Carmen, Adam Klein as Don José, Robert Honeysucker (woohoo!) as Escamilllo, Nouné Karapetian as Micaela, and Philip Candilis as Zuniga. This will be at 3 pm at NEC's Jordan Hall, and will be sung in French with projected English translations.
At 8:00 pm the Zamir Chorale presents "Wild Peace," a celebration of works from Israel's greatest composers. Included will be the world premiere of Charles D. Osborne’s oratorio for chorus and orchestra, Like Wildflowers, Suddenly, inspired by the poem "Wild Peace," by Israeli poet Yehudah Amichai. This is at Sanders Theatre (a busy place this weekend!).
And if you wish, there is an open sing of the Brahms Requiem in Charlestown at 3 pm. It is at St. Mary - St. Catherine of Siena Parish and is hosted by Coro Polifonico of Boston (which I have to confess, I have never heard of before. They should join the GBCC!) Scores will be provided, but bring your own if you have one.
Friday:
Top pick goes to the Back Bay Chorale's performance of Elijah, starring Richard Zeller, Elijah; Elizabeth Keusch, soprano; Gigi Mitchell-Velasco, mezzo-soprano; Yeghishe Manucharyan, tenor. There is a pre-concert lecture at 7:00 pm by Ann Howard Jones, director of choral activities at BU. The concert will be at Sanders Theatre at 8:00 pm. I'll be there - come say hello!
Also that evening the Boston Choral Ensemble presents Randall Thompson's Peaceable Kingdom and also the winner of their Annual Commission Competition. This will be at 8:00 pm at First Church in Cambridge. They will repeat this program on Sunday, June 1 at 2:00 pm at St. John the Evangelist in downtown Boston. I will note that the Friday concert is $20 a head, and the Sunday concert is free. (So if you go Sunday, be nice and make a donation!)
Saturday:
Tough choice tonight! At 8 pm at Symphony Hall you can hear the Boston Pops Gospel Night featuring Oleta Adams and the Boston Pops Gospel Choir. That looks pretty awesome to me.
But instead I will be going to hear Le Mystere de Voix Bulgares and very excited about it I am, too! They will be at the Church of the Covenant in downtown Boston at 8 pm. Here is their website. I have never heard them live, but the sound on their recordings is thrilling. You can listen to sound clips on their website. Damn, that sound just hits me like nothing else.
Sunday:
Chorus pro Musica (in concert - ha! - with Concert Opera Boston) will present Bizet's Carmen. Featuring Victoria Livengood as Carmen, Adam Klein as Don José, Robert Honeysucker (woohoo!) as Escamilllo, Nouné Karapetian as Micaela, and Philip Candilis as Zuniga. This will be at 3 pm at NEC's Jordan Hall, and will be sung in French with projected English translations.
At 8:00 pm the Zamir Chorale presents "Wild Peace," a celebration of works from Israel's greatest composers. Included will be the world premiere of Charles D. Osborne’s oratorio for chorus and orchestra, Like Wildflowers, Suddenly, inspired by the poem "Wild Peace," by Israeli poet Yehudah Amichai. This is at Sanders Theatre (a busy place this weekend!).
And if you wish, there is an open sing of the Brahms Requiem in Charlestown at 3 pm. It is at St. Mary - St. Catherine of Siena Parish and is hosted by Coro Polifonico of Boston (which I have to confess, I have never heard of before. They should join the GBCC!) Scores will be provided, but bring your own if you have one.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Cappella Clausura links, and tech experiments
I"m trying out cut-tags in blogger. Click below to read my full entry, and see some neat links to Cappella Clausura stuff! Edit: OK, that attempt at cut-tags was totally unsuccessful, but please enjoy the links anyways!
First of all, there is a radio interview with our director, Amelia LeClair. This happened before the concert we did in April in Connecticut at Sacred Heart University. It is a very good overview of what the group is about and what we sing.
And secondly, here is a slide-show of us at that concert! I am the first person to the left of the continuo group.
First of all, there is a radio interview with our director, Amelia LeClair. This happened before the concert we did in April in Connecticut at Sacred Heart University. It is a very good overview of what the group is about and what we sing.
And secondly, here is a slide-show of us at that concert! I am the first person to the left of the continuo group.
Messiah gone wrong
This link was sent to me by one of the two organists at my church. As she said, "I thought it might give you a chuckle or a knot in your stomach."
This is one of those situations where you can use statements like, "That was...amazing," or "That was unlike anything I've ever heard before!"
This is one of those situations where you can use statements like, "That was...amazing," or "That was unlike anything I've ever heard before!"
Friday, May 23, 2008
Weekend Concert Calendar, 5/23/08
Will this be one of the weeks I get my act together and actually post about the weekend concerts?
Yes! Ironically, there are no concerts to post about, since it is Memorial Day Weekend.
Well, that's not strictly true. I can find ONE.
On Sunday at 3 pm, the Cambridge Community Chorus will present their final concert directed by William E. Thomas. Selections wil include Haydn's "Harmony Mass" and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's "Hiawatha's Wedding Feast." This will be at Sanders Theatre at Harvard University in Cambridge. Check out William Thomas's biography - he has been a champion of new music and under-performed works, and a particular expert on composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.
Also, a heads-up for next week: on Wednesday the chapel choir of Thomas's Preparatory School in Kensington in the U.K. will give a lunchtime concert at 12:15 at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul. And it's free!
Next weekend, save Friday night for the Back Bay Chorale's performance of Mendelssohn's Elijah. And on Saturday, Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares (The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices) is in town! I am so there! Let me know if you want to join me - I'm going to buy my ticket this weekend!
Yes! Ironically, there are no concerts to post about, since it is Memorial Day Weekend.
Well, that's not strictly true. I can find ONE.
On Sunday at 3 pm, the Cambridge Community Chorus will present their final concert directed by William E. Thomas. Selections wil include Haydn's "Harmony Mass" and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's "Hiawatha's Wedding Feast." This will be at Sanders Theatre at Harvard University in Cambridge. Check out William Thomas's biography - he has been a champion of new music and under-performed works, and a particular expert on composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.
Also, a heads-up for next week: on Wednesday the chapel choir of Thomas's Preparatory School in Kensington in the U.K. will give a lunchtime concert at 12:15 at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul. And it's free!
Next weekend, save Friday night for the Back Bay Chorale's performance of Mendelssohn's Elijah. And on Saturday, Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares (The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices) is in town! I am so there! Let me know if you want to join me - I'm going to buy my ticket this weekend!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Weekend Concert Calendar, 5/15/08
Well, I am falling down on the job again. This time my excuse is that I am getting a cab to the airport at 4:30 am (that's in 5.5 hours and I haven't packed yet) for my brother's graduation. Huzzah! And double-huzzah because he has a job, which he just got today! And he's getting married at the end of June. He's a busy guy.
Anyways, I will simply remind you that, back by popular demand, Michael Veloso's piece Executive Orders will be performed again by the Arlington-Belmont Chamber Chorus on Friday, May 16 at 8:00 pm at First Parish, Arlington.
I previously wrote about this piece here. Do go see it - it's a great piece of music! And then as a bonus, there's also some Hindemith on the program! Who could ask for more?
See you all on the flip side. Wish me a decent nap on the flight.
Anyways, I will simply remind you that, back by popular demand, Michael Veloso's piece Executive Orders will be performed again by the Arlington-Belmont Chamber Chorus on Friday, May 16 at 8:00 pm at First Parish, Arlington.
I previously wrote about this piece here. Do go see it - it's a great piece of music! And then as a bonus, there's also some Hindemith on the program! Who could ask for more?
See you all on the flip side. Wish me a decent nap on the flight.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Mother's Day Choir
Yesterday my church choir and I had quite a moving experience.
One of the pieces we did for the service was Bobby McFerrin's "Psalm 23: Dedicated to my mother." I introduced it at rehearsal on Wednesday, and I sent them a Youtube link to a good performance online (I try to do this whenever possible.)
For those who don't know, this piece is set with a very free rhythm - he just writes a whole note, and then writes a long line of text under it that is supposed to be sung in speech rhythm. (My understanding is that Anglican chant is similar to this.) Difficult to conduct, to say the least. So we were going through it on Sunday morning in our rehearsal before the service. And it was clear that we were having lots of trouble singing it together - everyone was at different speeds. So I went through it, giving them the emphasized words, and telling them where to put breaks (I did this on Wednesday as well, so doing this on Sunday was a refresher.) And then I said, "OK. This is obviously not coming together with me conducting, so here's what we're going to do. I am not going to conduct. Not even with my head. I'm just going to listen. And Maureen (the accompanist) is just going to give you your notes, and she's not going to play. You all just have to breathe together and go, and sing the piece together. This is an experiment - just try it." And they did. And it WORKED. In fact, it was amazing. They were really together, in a way that would have been flat-out impossible if I had been conducting. They had to come together as a group, b/c they didn't have me in there gumming up the works.
So that was the way we did it in the service. When the choral benediction came along, I just sat down in the front pew, and Maureen gave them their notes, and they sang the whole piece by themselves with no conductor, and it was great, and I just listened. In fact, I made the mistake of listening too vulnerably, and by the last verse I had tears in my eyes and wasn't sure I was going to be able to keep from really crying. This happens sometimes to me as a conductor when I make what I will mis-call "the mistake of listening." Obviously one of your primary jobs is to listen...but when you are working hard at being open, you run the risk of not being able to hold yourself emotionally together. The other notable time this happened to me was in the dress rehearsal for my masters' conducting concert. My teacher DM came up behind me while I was conducting Brahms' "Waldesnacht", and talked me through opening up and connecting to the music, and he succeeded a little too well - it was all I could do not to break down sobbing and I seriously felt like it was an effort of will to keep my joints together - I physically felt like I might break apart. It is one of the scariest challenges as a conductor to figure out how to open up the channels to emotion, to connect to the music yourself and thereby enable other people, both performers and audience, to connect to the music, without totally losing it yourself.
But the fact that my choir's performance affected me so strongly was a clear indication of how well they succeeded at making some real music. And what better story for Mother's Day? I taught and prepared them - they had the notes, and they knew what words they were heading for and what the rhythm should be, and where all the breaks and breaths were. And after they learned it I tossed them off the cliff and they flew. I love my choir.
One of the pieces we did for the service was Bobby McFerrin's "Psalm 23: Dedicated to my mother." I introduced it at rehearsal on Wednesday, and I sent them a Youtube link to a good performance online (I try to do this whenever possible.)
For those who don't know, this piece is set with a very free rhythm - he just writes a whole note, and then writes a long line of text under it that is supposed to be sung in speech rhythm. (My understanding is that Anglican chant is similar to this.) Difficult to conduct, to say the least. So we were going through it on Sunday morning in our rehearsal before the service. And it was clear that we were having lots of trouble singing it together - everyone was at different speeds. So I went through it, giving them the emphasized words, and telling them where to put breaks (I did this on Wednesday as well, so doing this on Sunday was a refresher.) And then I said, "OK. This is obviously not coming together with me conducting, so here's what we're going to do. I am not going to conduct. Not even with my head. I'm just going to listen. And Maureen (the accompanist) is just going to give you your notes, and she's not going to play. You all just have to breathe together and go, and sing the piece together. This is an experiment - just try it." And they did. And it WORKED. In fact, it was amazing. They were really together, in a way that would have been flat-out impossible if I had been conducting. They had to come together as a group, b/c they didn't have me in there gumming up the works.
So that was the way we did it in the service. When the choral benediction came along, I just sat down in the front pew, and Maureen gave them their notes, and they sang the whole piece by themselves with no conductor, and it was great, and I just listened. In fact, I made the mistake of listening too vulnerably, and by the last verse I had tears in my eyes and wasn't sure I was going to be able to keep from really crying. This happens sometimes to me as a conductor when I make what I will mis-call "the mistake of listening." Obviously one of your primary jobs is to listen...but when you are working hard at being open, you run the risk of not being able to hold yourself emotionally together. The other notable time this happened to me was in the dress rehearsal for my masters' conducting concert. My teacher DM came up behind me while I was conducting Brahms' "Waldesnacht", and talked me through opening up and connecting to the music, and he succeeded a little too well - it was all I could do not to break down sobbing and I seriously felt like it was an effort of will to keep my joints together - I physically felt like I might break apart. It is one of the scariest challenges as a conductor to figure out how to open up the channels to emotion, to connect to the music yourself and thereby enable other people, both performers and audience, to connect to the music, without totally losing it yourself.
But the fact that my choir's performance affected me so strongly was a clear indication of how well they succeeded at making some real music. And what better story for Mother's Day? I taught and prepared them - they had the notes, and they knew what words they were heading for and what the rhythm should be, and where all the breaks and breaths were. And after they learned it I tossed them off the cliff and they flew. I love my choir.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Weekend Concert Calendar, 5/8/08, Part Deux
OK, finishing up the list for this weekend! The additional entries are almost all on Saturday of course, because apparently this Saturday is CRAZY for choral music.
Saturday:
On Saturday at 2 pm at Fanueil Hall the BCO and the Boston Children's Chorus are putting on a concert of music by Beethoven, Mozart, Handel, Haydn, and African-American and Native American songs followed by an instrument petting zoo. It's sold out, though. Too bad for you.
Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 3 pm the Harvard Bach Society Orchestra and the Dunster House Opera Society will present a semi-staged performance of Copland's opera The Tender Land. The location will be The Memorial Church, Harvard Yard, Cambridge.
Also on Saturday at 8 pm the Assabet Valley Master Singers will present The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace by Karl Jenkins (2000 Commission in England) based on the 15thC French song "L'Homme Arme." Texts include Tennyson, Kipling, the Koran, Christian mass, & the Mahabharata. This performance will be with the Algonquin Regional HS Chorus, and will be held at the Algonquin Regional High School, Northboro, MA.
At 7:30 in Peabody a group called simply the "Choral Art Society" will present Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil (aka the Vespers.) This will be at St. Vasilios Church in Peabody.
And at 7:30 that same day in Scituate another group simply called the "Choral Art Society" will perform "Czeching Into Vienna: Music of Dvorak, Schubert, and Brahms." This will be at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Scituate.
Sunday:
Not strictly choral, but at 3 pm in Pickman Hall at Longy there will be a vocal chamber music concert by members of the Vocal Ensemble Class. Music for voices & piano, flute, harp, trumpet, and violin by Bach, Caplet, Cornelius, Dvorak, Handel, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Spohr, and others. This one is free!
Saturday:
On Saturday at 2 pm at Fanueil Hall the BCO and the Boston Children's Chorus are putting on a concert of music by Beethoven, Mozart, Handel, Haydn, and African-American and Native American songs followed by an instrument petting zoo. It's sold out, though. Too bad for you.
Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 3 pm the Harvard Bach Society Orchestra and the Dunster House Opera Society will present a semi-staged performance of Copland's opera The Tender Land. The location will be The Memorial Church, Harvard Yard, Cambridge.
Also on Saturday at 8 pm the Assabet Valley Master Singers will present The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace by Karl Jenkins (2000 Commission in England) based on the 15thC French song "L'Homme Arme." Texts include Tennyson, Kipling, the Koran, Christian mass, & the Mahabharata. This performance will be with the Algonquin Regional HS Chorus, and will be held at the Algonquin Regional High School, Northboro, MA.
At 7:30 in Peabody a group called simply the "Choral Art Society" will present Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil (aka the Vespers.) This will be at St. Vasilios Church in Peabody.
And at 7:30 that same day in Scituate another group simply called the "Choral Art Society" will perform "Czeching Into Vienna: Music of Dvorak, Schubert, and Brahms." This will be at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Scituate.
Sunday:
Not strictly choral, but at 3 pm in Pickman Hall at Longy there will be a vocal chamber music concert by members of the Vocal Ensemble Class. Music for voices & piano, flute, harp, trumpet, and violin by Bach, Caplet, Cornelius, Dvorak, Handel, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Spohr, and others. This one is free!
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Weekend Concert Calendar, 5/8/08
Finally I am jumping back on the bandwagon, after two weeks of being most unhelpful to anyone who was looking for choral music! I'm glad to say that my flu is better, and the intense concert season is (for me) mostly passed, so let's see what we have going on this weekend, hm?
Self-plugs, as always, come first! Anthology is singing at First Parish Cohasset Friday evening at 7:30 pm. This is a full-length concert, and also a fund-raiser for First Parish's organ fund, so I encourage everyone to show up for a good cause!
Friday:
At 8 pm the Cantata Singers will be at NEC's Jordan Hall in downtown Boston. They will present: Kurt Weill: Symphony No. 2; Charles Fussell: High Bridge—A Choral Symphony After Poems of Hart Crane (First Boston performance.) Karyl Ryczek, soprano; Janna Baty, mezzo-soprano; William Hite, tenor; David Kravitz, bass.
At 7:30 pm Fretless Voices, Mudville Madrigal Singers, and Peking and the Mystics will join together for the 3rd Annual "Only A-cappella Night" at the Saint Andrews' Performing Arts Series. This will be at 79 Denton Road, Wellesley, MA.
Saturday:
The choruses are out in force tonight!
At 7 pm at the Pleasant Street Congregational Church 75 Pleasant Street, Arlington, MA, the deVaronistas will present "Selections from 20th Century Song Cycles." I quote from an e-mail from a friend: "Lorna Cooke deVaron is conducting her last concert with the deVaronistas on Saturday, May 10, in a splendid and characteristic program." For those who don't know, Lorna Cooke deVaron was at NEC for over 40 years as director of their choral program, and directed the Longy Chamber Singers for many years after that. A biography is here. (Also, if you follow the link to the deVaronistas, you will find a fascinating press release. It is not current - it is for December 2006 - but it is instructive all the same.)
Convivium Musicum (a very good local amateur Renaissance choir - I recommend them) will give a concert on Saturday at 8 pm at First Church in Cambridge, Congregational in Cambridge. The concert description reads, "Two weddings and a treaty: Renaissance occasional music. Convivium Musicum offers a concert of Renaissance music penned for occasions and personalities: popes and kings, treaties and dedications, weddings and funerals, patrons and fellow composers."
The Brookline Community Chorus has a very neat programme at 8 pm at First Baptist Church , 848 Beacon St. Newton Centre (Green line accessible!) I quote from their release: "Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert, Chosen from three substantial collections of music Ellington called “sacred concerts” this program highlights inspired music that the jazz great considered to be the most important of his works. Classic 1940s dance band music alternates with introspective blues and full-throttle gospel. Instrumental and vocal virtuosity shares the spotlight with supple, graceful choral and ensemble writing."
The Concord Chorus will be at Cary Memorial Hall, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington at 8 pm, presenting various works by Bach, Brahms, and Mozart.
The Master Singers will be right across the road, also at 8 pm in Lexington, at First Parish Church on the Battle Green presenting works by J.S. Bach and Schubert, including Schubert's Mass in G.
The Paul Madore Chorale will be up in Salem at 8 pm, presenting Anton Dvorak's Te Deum with Trudy Hill, Soprano and Donald Wilkinson, Baritone. Dave Brubeck's To Hope - a Celebration (a Boston-area premiere.) Their location is St. Anne's Church, 290 Jefferson Ave., Salem.
The Snug Harbor Community Chorus will be performing at 8 pm at The Duxbury Performing Arts Center, 73 Alden St, Duxbury, MA. "The Music, the Magic, and the Memories: a Tenth Anniversary celebration featuring mixed genre selections that capture the evolution and essence of the chorus."
Sunday (Mother's Day!):
At 3 pm the Masterworks Chorale will present an all Vaughan Williams program at Sanders Theater on the Harvard campus in Cambridge. And they advertise that "All women in attendance receive a red carnation!"
And for all of you G&S fans out there, this is the last weekend you can go see Ruddigore at MIT! Shows are tonight (Thursday) and Friday at 8 pm and Saturday at 2 pm. Location is La Sala de Puerto Rico, on the 2nd floor of the MIT Student Center.
I haven't even finished listing everything yet, but it is late and I have to get up early, so I am going to have to sign off and give you an addendum tomorrow!
Self-plugs, as always, come first! Anthology is singing at First Parish Cohasset Friday evening at 7:30 pm. This is a full-length concert, and also a fund-raiser for First Parish's organ fund, so I encourage everyone to show up for a good cause!
Friday:
At 8 pm the Cantata Singers will be at NEC's Jordan Hall in downtown Boston. They will present: Kurt Weill: Symphony No. 2; Charles Fussell: High Bridge—A Choral Symphony After Poems of Hart Crane (First Boston performance.) Karyl Ryczek, soprano; Janna Baty, mezzo-soprano; William Hite, tenor; David Kravitz, bass.
At 7:30 pm Fretless Voices, Mudville Madrigal Singers, and Peking and the Mystics will join together for the 3rd Annual "Only A-cappella Night" at the Saint Andrews' Performing Arts Series. This will be at 79 Denton Road, Wellesley, MA.
Saturday:
The choruses are out in force tonight!
At 7 pm at the Pleasant Street Congregational Church 75 Pleasant Street, Arlington, MA, the deVaronistas will present "Selections from 20th Century Song Cycles." I quote from an e-mail from a friend: "Lorna Cooke deVaron is conducting her last concert with the deVaronistas on Saturday, May 10, in a splendid and characteristic program." For those who don't know, Lorna Cooke deVaron was at NEC for over 40 years as director of their choral program, and directed the Longy Chamber Singers for many years after that. A biography is here. (Also, if you follow the link to the deVaronistas, you will find a fascinating press release. It is not current - it is for December 2006 - but it is instructive all the same.)
Convivium Musicum (a very good local amateur Renaissance choir - I recommend them) will give a concert on Saturday at 8 pm at First Church in Cambridge, Congregational in Cambridge. The concert description reads, "Two weddings and a treaty: Renaissance occasional music. Convivium Musicum offers a concert of Renaissance music penned for occasions and personalities: popes and kings, treaties and dedications, weddings and funerals, patrons and fellow composers."
The Brookline Community Chorus has a very neat programme at 8 pm at First Baptist Church , 848 Beacon St. Newton Centre (Green line accessible!) I quote from their release: "Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert, Chosen from three substantial collections of music Ellington called “sacred concerts” this program highlights inspired music that the jazz great considered to be the most important of his works. Classic 1940s dance band music alternates with introspective blues and full-throttle gospel. Instrumental and vocal virtuosity shares the spotlight with supple, graceful choral and ensemble writing."
The Concord Chorus will be at Cary Memorial Hall, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington at 8 pm, presenting various works by Bach, Brahms, and Mozart.
The Master Singers will be right across the road, also at 8 pm in Lexington, at First Parish Church on the Battle Green presenting works by J.S. Bach and Schubert, including Schubert's Mass in G.
The Paul Madore Chorale will be up in Salem at 8 pm, presenting Anton Dvorak's Te Deum with Trudy Hill, Soprano and Donald Wilkinson, Baritone. Dave Brubeck's To Hope - a Celebration (a Boston-area premiere.) Their location is St. Anne's Church, 290 Jefferson Ave., Salem.
The Snug Harbor Community Chorus will be performing at 8 pm at The Duxbury Performing Arts Center, 73 Alden St, Duxbury, MA. "The Music, the Magic, and the Memories: a Tenth Anniversary celebration featuring mixed genre selections that capture the evolution and essence of the chorus."
Sunday (Mother's Day!):
At 3 pm the Masterworks Chorale will present an all Vaughan Williams program at Sanders Theater on the Harvard campus in Cambridge. And they advertise that "All women in attendance receive a red carnation!"
And for all of you G&S fans out there, this is the last weekend you can go see Ruddigore at MIT! Shows are tonight (Thursday) and Friday at 8 pm and Saturday at 2 pm. Location is La Sala de Puerto Rico, on the 2nd floor of the MIT Student Center.
I haven't even finished listing everything yet, but it is late and I have to get up early, so I am going to have to sign off and give you an addendum tomorrow!
Friday, May 02, 2008
Weekend Concert Calendar - NOT AGAIN!
Sorry to be unhelpful two weeks in a row, but I am sunk down lo with the flu, and need to sleep rather than do a choral roundup. (I am in fact so sick that I didn't go to the Boston Cecilia's awesome new music concert tonight, so you know things must be pretty bad.)
However, tomorrow night is a VERY IMPORTANT CONCERT, so please come! (And if you didn't get this in e-mail form, head over to Anthology's website and sign up to be on our mailing list!)
Dear Friends,
Anthology would like to invite you to a couple of our upcoming concerts! These will be our first full-length concerts together, and we're all very excited.
On Saturday, May 3, at 8:00 pm, we will be performing at First Parish Cambridge (www.firstparishcambridge.org). The church is in Harvard Square at 3 Church St. This is our first full-length concert, and we have quite a variety of music in store. We are singing all varieties of classical music, from madrigals and Renaissance motets, through Brahms and Bartok, and including several pieces written within the past couple of years by New England composers Michael Veloso and Eva Kendrick. We'll also be performing some folk music, a little barbershop, and some Sweet Honey in the Rock as well. We will be asking for a $15 donation at the door, but if you can't afford that, we want you to come anyways - that's why it's called a donation. We hope you can make it!
On Wednesday, May 7, at 5:30 pm, we will be performing at the Church of St. John the Evangelist at 35 Bowdoin St. in Boston (drupal.stjev.org). This is a "commuter concert" so it may be hard to get there if you do not work in Boston, but it is extremely close to a number of subway stops. There will be a donation plate at the door. Please let all your friends who work in Boston know about it! This concert will be about 45 minutes long, and we will be focusing mainly on our classical rep.
On Friday, May 9, at 7:30 pm, we will be performing at First Parish Cohasset (www.firstparishcohasset.org) in Cohasset on the South Shore. This will be a repeat of the program we are offering on May 3, so if you are unable to make the May 3 concert, we hope you will consider making the trek out to Cohasset to hear us! We will again be asking for a $15 donation, and half the proceeds of this concert will go towards the First Parish Organ Renovation Fund.
We hope to see you all in the audience sometime soon!
All the best,
Vicky, Anney, Michelle, and Allegra
Anthology
www.anthologyvoices.com
P.S. If you would like us to remove you from this e-mailing list, please just reply to this e-mail and let us know.
However, tomorrow night is a VERY IMPORTANT CONCERT, so please come! (And if you didn't get this in e-mail form, head over to Anthology's website and sign up to be on our mailing list!)
Dear Friends,
Anthology would like to invite you to a couple of our upcoming concerts! These will be our first full-length concerts together, and we're all very excited.
On Saturday, May 3, at 8:00 pm, we will be performing at First Parish Cambridge (www.firstparishcambridge.org). The church is in Harvard Square at 3 Church St. This is our first full-length concert, and we have quite a variety of music in store. We are singing all varieties of classical music, from madrigals and Renaissance motets, through Brahms and Bartok, and including several pieces written within the past couple of years by New England composers Michael Veloso and Eva Kendrick. We'll also be performing some folk music, a little barbershop, and some Sweet Honey in the Rock as well. We will be asking for a $15 donation at the door, but if you can't afford that, we want you to come anyways - that's why it's called a donation. We hope you can make it!
On Wednesday, May 7, at 5:30 pm, we will be performing at the Church of St. John the Evangelist at 35 Bowdoin St. in Boston (drupal.stjev.org). This is a "commuter concert" so it may be hard to get there if you do not work in Boston, but it is extremely close to a number of subway stops. There will be a donation plate at the door. Please let all your friends who work in Boston know about it! This concert will be about 45 minutes long, and we will be focusing mainly on our classical rep.
On Friday, May 9, at 7:30 pm, we will be performing at First Parish Cohasset (www.firstparishcohasset.org) in Cohasset on the South Shore. This will be a repeat of the program we are offering on May 3, so if you are unable to make the May 3 concert, we hope you will consider making the trek out to Cohasset to hear us! We will again be asking for a $15 donation, and half the proceeds of this concert will go towards the First Parish Organ Renovation Fund.
We hope to see you all in the audience sometime soon!
All the best,
Vicky, Anney, Michelle, and Allegra
Anthology
www.anthologyvoices.com
P.S. If you would like us to remove you from this e-mailing list, please just reply to this e-mail and let us know.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Sweet Home Alabama
One possible definition of globalization (or crossover? or collaboration?) could be a Finnish rock and roll band called the Leningrad Cowboys joining forces with the Soviet Red Army Choir to perform Sweet Home Alabama. Hypothetically, of course.
I have never seen a choir where everyone had head mics before.
Responsibility for sending me this link lies with my brother.
I have never seen a choir where everyone had head mics before.
Responsibility for sending me this link lies with my brother.
Cat Plays (with) Theremin
My readers, I apologize. I have been falling down on the job. Yes, it is true! I have strayed from the true purpose of the internet, which, as everyone knows, is:
Cute videos of cats!
In this case, a video of a cat playing a theremin. (For those who are not familiar with this instrument, it's an electronic instrument, notable for the fact that you don't touch it - you control the pitch and volume by moving your hands in the air near two antennae. If you would like to see one played correctly, check out Masami Takeuchi on YouTube playing Saint-Saens' The Swan on a theremin.)
And now...cute cat plays with a theremin! Via Mike Veloso.
Cute videos of cats!
In this case, a video of a cat playing a theremin. (For those who are not familiar with this instrument, it's an electronic instrument, notable for the fact that you don't touch it - you control the pitch and volume by moving your hands in the air near two antennae. If you would like to see one played correctly, check out Masami Takeuchi on YouTube playing Saint-Saens' The Swan on a theremin.)
And now...cute cat plays with a theremin! Via Mike Veloso.
How Does the Voice Work?
For anyone who's interested in what is actually happening when you sing, the Cambridge Center for Adult Education has an upcoming class called "How does the Voice Work?" To register, visit their website or call (617) 547-6789, ext. 1.
How Does the Voice Work?
Exactly what happens when we sing? Diana Cole and Carolyn Kingston are master teachers and singers who will lead us on an adventure down our throats. This spring we will review a fiber optic videotape of actual vocal folds vibrating, and present a second video identifying how sound is tuned and modulated in the vocal cavities (which determines vowels and voice quality). Based on what we see, we will discuss and experience our own voices. This presentation is a must for all singers, speakers, and curious human beings. Limited to 20.
COURSE CODE: HVOC
Sec. 01: 1 Wednesday, 5:45-7:45 pm. May 7, 56 Brattle St.| $38
That's in one week - looks good! (I know that as of a few days ago, they still had space.)
How Does the Voice Work?
Exactly what happens when we sing? Diana Cole and Carolyn Kingston are master teachers and singers who will lead us on an adventure down our throats. This spring we will review a fiber optic videotape of actual vocal folds vibrating, and present a second video identifying how sound is tuned and modulated in the vocal cavities (which determines vowels and voice quality). Based on what we see, we will discuss and experience our own voices. This presentation is a must for all singers, speakers, and curious human beings. Limited to 20.
COURSE CODE: HVOC
Sec. 01: 1 Wednesday, 5:45-7:45 pm. May 7, 56 Brattle St.| $38
That's in one week - looks good! (I know that as of a few days ago, they still had space.)
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Weekend Concert Calendar...NOT
Sorry all. I'm going out of town tomorrow, and am a little swamped with preparations. Go to the Blue Heron concert, check out Die Fledermaus at Longy, and I'll see you all next week!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Weekend Concert Calendar, 4/17/08
First of all, I'm going to mention that I haven't quite gotten a good system down for putting together these weekly reports. Right now I go out and systematically search about 4 major sites that list concerts...but I frequently neglect to check my own inbox for announcements that are sent to me.
So, for example, I know that I neglected to mention the Psalm Enchanted Evening, co-sponsored by B'nai Or of Boston and Andover Newton Theological School on 4/5, or the performance on 4/10 of the Boston Gay Men's Chorus that the Scituate Friends of Music hosted. Have patience with me - I'll get this all sorted out eventually, and you will have an even more thorough weekend concert report than you do now! But it's been a busy month - I've been in a performance every weekend since Easter - so you might have to wait until summer for me to get my act together.
Speaking of performing, please do come and hear me sing with Cappella Clausura this weekend. We will be singing on Friday at 7:30 pm at Gordon Chapel in Old South in Copley Square, and on Saturday at 8 pm at Parish of the Messiah in Newton. We will be performing the Vespers of Cozzolani, and I am going to be singing LOW. As in, lots of low E's and D's, and that's in early music tuning (meaning lower than normal tuning.) The first time I sang the one little solo lick I have, the entire chorus burst out laughing. I pretended to be miffed until they assured me that it was the laughter of "Thank God that's not my line!" and "I can't believe she just did that!" Please don't let my freak-show low-singing-talents go to waste - join the audience, and say hello afterwards!
What else is up for this glorious spring weekend? First of all, congrats to the Braintree Choral Society, who are going on a tour to England. Have fun and travel safe, y'all!
Friday:
The BSO will present a program including Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde. Anne Sofie von Otter is the mezzo soloist! And Ben Heppner will be filling in for Johan Botha, who is ill. Also on the program is John Harbison’s Symphony No. 5, featuring mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey and baritone Nathan Gunn.
At noon on Friday, the Bach Children's Chorus of Rochester, NY will perform a concert at Old North in Boston. There will be works by Mendelssohn, and traditional American songs.
Saturday:
I can't find evidence of this on their own website, but according to the New England Early Music Calendar, the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum Chamber Singers are going to perform Franco-Flemish Renaissance works at 3 pm at First Church Congregational in Cambridge. So if that sounds exciting, you might want to stroll over and check it out.
However, for the evening, it would seem you have NO OTHER OPTIONS other than to come see Cappella Clausura!
Sunday:
At 3:00 pm at Jordan Hall (New England Conservatory, Boston) the Dedham Choral Society will join with the Handel & Haydn children's chorus to present the New England premiere of Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man - A Mass for Peace, and the accompanying film. More info here.
Also at 3:00 pm, at First Church in Cambridge, the Cambridge Concentus presents a solo-voice performance of J.S. Bach's Cantata 43 with period instruments. Performers include: Ulrike Präger, soprano; Thea Lobo, mezzo-soprano; Jason Wang, tenor; Kyle Ferrill, baritone. Champagne served afterwards! (I only know Thea Lobo, but I LOVE her voice, and I highly recommend going to hear her!)
At 4:00 pm at the Harvard Memorial Church, the Harvard University Choir will be joined by the Orchestra of Emmanuel Music and a quartet of professional soloists to present the Harvard premiere of Robert D. Levin's recent completion of Mozart's Mass in C Minor. The concert will begin with a brief introduction by Robert Levin. To purchase online go to www.fas.harvard.edu/tickets. Ticket sales at the door are cash-only.
And the fun doesn't stop with the weekend! Two events not to miss next week:
Monday:
At 8:00 pm at Jordan Hall, the New England Conservatory Choruses and Sinfonietta will present Poulenc's Gloria, Duruflé's Requiem, and Pärt's Magnificat.
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday:
The BSO presents Belioz' The Trojans, Part I. Soloists: Marcello Giordani, tenor (Aeneas); Yvonne Naef, m4ezzo-soprano (Cassandra); Dwayne Croft, baritone (Chorebus); Clayton Brainerd, bass-baritone (Pantheus); Kate Lindsey, mezzo-soprano (Ascanius); Jane Bunnell, mezzo-soprano (Hecuba); Ronald Naldi, tenor (Helenus); Eric Owens, bass (ghost of Hector). I'll be honest and admit I don't know who any of those people are, but perhaps some of you will be excited by some of the names!
So, for example, I know that I neglected to mention the Psalm Enchanted Evening, co-sponsored by B'nai Or of Boston and Andover Newton Theological School on 4/5, or the performance on 4/10 of the Boston Gay Men's Chorus that the Scituate Friends of Music hosted. Have patience with me - I'll get this all sorted out eventually, and you will have an even more thorough weekend concert report than you do now! But it's been a busy month - I've been in a performance every weekend since Easter - so you might have to wait until summer for me to get my act together.
Speaking of performing, please do come and hear me sing with Cappella Clausura this weekend. We will be singing on Friday at 7:30 pm at Gordon Chapel in Old South in Copley Square, and on Saturday at 8 pm at Parish of the Messiah in Newton. We will be performing the Vespers of Cozzolani, and I am going to be singing LOW. As in, lots of low E's and D's, and that's in early music tuning (meaning lower than normal tuning.) The first time I sang the one little solo lick I have, the entire chorus burst out laughing. I pretended to be miffed until they assured me that it was the laughter of "Thank God that's not my line!" and "I can't believe she just did that!" Please don't let my freak-show low-singing-talents go to waste - join the audience, and say hello afterwards!
What else is up for this glorious spring weekend? First of all, congrats to the Braintree Choral Society, who are going on a tour to England. Have fun and travel safe, y'all!
Friday:
The BSO will present a program including Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde. Anne Sofie von Otter is the mezzo soloist! And Ben Heppner will be filling in for Johan Botha, who is ill. Also on the program is John Harbison’s Symphony No. 5, featuring mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey and baritone Nathan Gunn.
At noon on Friday, the Bach Children's Chorus of Rochester, NY will perform a concert at Old North in Boston. There will be works by Mendelssohn, and traditional American songs.
Saturday:
I can't find evidence of this on their own website, but according to the New England Early Music Calendar, the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum Chamber Singers are going to perform Franco-Flemish Renaissance works at 3 pm at First Church Congregational in Cambridge. So if that sounds exciting, you might want to stroll over and check it out.
However, for the evening, it would seem you have NO OTHER OPTIONS other than to come see Cappella Clausura!
Sunday:
At 3:00 pm at Jordan Hall (New England Conservatory, Boston) the Dedham Choral Society will join with the Handel & Haydn children's chorus to present the New England premiere of Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man - A Mass for Peace, and the accompanying film. More info here.
Also at 3:00 pm, at First Church in Cambridge, the Cambridge Concentus presents a solo-voice performance of J.S. Bach's Cantata 43 with period instruments. Performers include: Ulrike Präger, soprano; Thea Lobo, mezzo-soprano; Jason Wang, tenor; Kyle Ferrill, baritone. Champagne served afterwards! (I only know Thea Lobo, but I LOVE her voice, and I highly recommend going to hear her!)
At 4:00 pm at the Harvard Memorial Church, the Harvard University Choir will be joined by the Orchestra of Emmanuel Music and a quartet of professional soloists to present the Harvard premiere of Robert D. Levin's recent completion of Mozart's Mass in C Minor. The concert will begin with a brief introduction by Robert Levin. To purchase online go to www.fas.harvard.edu/tickets. Ticket sales at the door are cash-only.
And the fun doesn't stop with the weekend! Two events not to miss next week:
Monday:
At 8:00 pm at Jordan Hall, the New England Conservatory Choruses and Sinfonietta will present Poulenc's Gloria, Duruflé's Requiem, and Pärt's Magnificat.
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday:
The BSO presents Belioz' The Trojans, Part I. Soloists: Marcello Giordani, tenor (Aeneas); Yvonne Naef, m4ezzo-soprano (Cassandra); Dwayne Croft, baritone (Chorebus); Clayton Brainerd, bass-baritone (Pantheus); Kate Lindsey, mezzo-soprano (Ascanius); Jane Bunnell, mezzo-soprano (Hecuba); Ronald Naldi, tenor (Helenus); Eric Owens, bass (ghost of Hector). I'll be honest and admit I don't know who any of those people are, but perhaps some of you will be excited by some of the names!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Gig report: King's Chapel Choir
Last Sunday evening I sang in a concert with King's Chapel Choir. The program was:
Aaron Copland: In The Beginning
Samuel Barber: Agnus Dei (Adagio for Strings)
Daniel Pinkham: The Creation of the World
Leonard Bernstein: Chichester Psalms
Obviously I don't sing with the King's Chapel Choir regularly, since I'm at First Parish Cohasset on Sunday mornings, but I'm lucky enough that HC, the music director at King's Chapel, has asked me to join them for a couple of concerts in their concert series this year to expand their alto section.
This is kind of the perfect gig. There were only 3 rehearsals for this concert, including the dress rehearsal. (This is key - a fun gig that doesn't eat your life!) The repertoire is interesting and challenging. The choir is a friendly bunch of people as well as high-level musicians, and rehearsals strike that great balance between intensely focused and kind of hilarious because people are making puns and jokes under their breath. And a lot of the attitude is due to HC, who really keeps things efficiently moving in rehearsal with a sort of dry wit. He also has faith that people will go home and look at their music, so he never wastes too much time drilling anything. Of course, he is also lucky enough to have a choir that DOES go home and look at their music. Of course, that's probably because he invites people to join the choir who are responsible as well as talented...it's like the greenhouse effect, except awesome.
Even so, I have to confess that I was a little nervous after the dress rehearsal on Saturday, when I did not feel at all secure in a good many sections of the music, and I didn't seem to be the only one. But hey presto, the warm-up Sunday was far more solid, and the performance went great. And finally I have to say that the mezzo soloist on the Copland, Heather Holland, was AWESOME.
How did I land this great gig? Pretty simple - I e-mailed HC last fall, asked to sing for him, we scheduled a time to do so, I went in, sang for him, competently sight-read everything he put in front of me, he kindly put me on the sub list, and then I waited. That's the way it works, folks! In case you were wondering, which I certainly was 2 years ago.
Aaron Copland: In The Beginning
Samuel Barber: Agnus Dei (Adagio for Strings)
Daniel Pinkham: The Creation of the World
Leonard Bernstein: Chichester Psalms
Obviously I don't sing with the King's Chapel Choir regularly, since I'm at First Parish Cohasset on Sunday mornings, but I'm lucky enough that HC, the music director at King's Chapel, has asked me to join them for a couple of concerts in their concert series this year to expand their alto section.
This is kind of the perfect gig. There were only 3 rehearsals for this concert, including the dress rehearsal. (This is key - a fun gig that doesn't eat your life!) The repertoire is interesting and challenging. The choir is a friendly bunch of people as well as high-level musicians, and rehearsals strike that great balance between intensely focused and kind of hilarious because people are making puns and jokes under their breath. And a lot of the attitude is due to HC, who really keeps things efficiently moving in rehearsal with a sort of dry wit. He also has faith that people will go home and look at their music, so he never wastes too much time drilling anything. Of course, he is also lucky enough to have a choir that DOES go home and look at their music. Of course, that's probably because he invites people to join the choir who are responsible as well as talented...it's like the greenhouse effect, except awesome.
Even so, I have to confess that I was a little nervous after the dress rehearsal on Saturday, when I did not feel at all secure in a good many sections of the music, and I didn't seem to be the only one. But hey presto, the warm-up Sunday was far more solid, and the performance went great. And finally I have to say that the mezzo soloist on the Copland, Heather Holland, was AWESOME.
How did I land this great gig? Pretty simple - I e-mailed HC last fall, asked to sing for him, we scheduled a time to do so, I went in, sang for him, competently sight-read everything he put in front of me, he kindly put me on the sub list, and then I waited. That's the way it works, folks! In case you were wondering, which I certainly was 2 years ago.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Time's Top 25 Blogs
I'm a little late to this party, but if you haven't yet, go check out Time.com's First Annual Blog Index. "From millions of blogs about nothing, we've selected the 25 best about something."
Standing among giants - DailyKos, Lifehacker, BoingBoing - is a blog by Rachel Barenblat, someone I'm proud to call my friend. Her blog - called Velveteen Rabbi, with the tagline "When can I run and play with the real rabbis?" - is about Judaism and faith and poetry and other things, too. She's a poet as well as a rabbinic student, and her blog is beautifully written. I recommend checking it out...and isn't it exciting that Time.com does too?
Standing among giants - DailyKos, Lifehacker, BoingBoing - is a blog by Rachel Barenblat, someone I'm proud to call my friend. Her blog - called Velveteen Rabbi, with the tagline "When can I run and play with the real rabbis?" - is about Judaism and faith and poetry and other things, too. She's a poet as well as a rabbinic student, and her blog is beautifully written. I recommend checking it out...and isn't it exciting that Time.com does too?
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Weekend Concert Calendar, 4/10/08
Spring! It is finally here! You can throw off the shackles of heavy overcoats and boots! And you will actually want to go out this weekend, instead of staying nestled on your warm couch while the cold winds howl. So, what should you do this weekend?
Well, first off, of course you should come see ME sing. I'm joining the King's Chapel Choir for a concert on Sunday at 5 pm at (where else?) King's Chapel.
The program is called "Made in America: Choral Masterpieces" and will consist of:
Leonard Bernstein: Chichester Psalms
Aaron Copland: In The Beginning
Samuel Barber: Agnus Dei (Adagio for Strings)
Daniel Pinkham: The Creation of the World
Details: King's Chapel is located at the corner of Tremont and School Streets, one block from the Park Street T. Suggested donation is $12/$8, there are no advance ticket sales, and the doors open at 4:30. Validated concert parking is available for $7 at the One Beacon Street Garage.
I'm actually practicing hard for this one, and also, the mezzo soloist on the Copland is fabulous, as is the entire choir generally, so please do come! These are all pieces that any choral musician should be familiar with.
Other options? As usual, you are spoiled for choice.
First off, this weekend is "Singing at Tufts!" weekend. On Friday at 8 pm, the Tufts Third Day Gospel Choir will perform; on Saturday at 7 pm, Tufts will present the inaugural "Boston Area Young Men's Choral Festival" (actually this is an all-day event, with the evening performance at 7); and on Sunday at 3 pm, the Tufts Chamber Singers present English and American choral music. More information on all these fine events is here.
Friday:
On Friday, the Boston Secession presents "Justina Golden and The Amiable Consort." (I believe this means that the Secession themselves are not singing, although some of their members also sing with The Amiable Consort. Please correct me if you have further details.) They specialize in Hildegard von Bingen and solo and multi-part chant, so if that is your bag, baby, I suspect you won't want to miss this. 8pm on Friday, Gordon Chapel at Old South. More details are here.
Also, the Boston Camerata is having a concert at 8 pm at First Church in Cambridge, but I really can't figure out from their website whether or not it involves choral music. See what you think. (Scroll down to "Alla Turca.")
Saturday:
Usually I have an idea of what big events are coming up. But this one almost completely slipped by me. Emmanuel Music is performing Bach's B minor mass on Saturday at 8 pm! At Emmanuel Church in Boston, of course. This should be AWESOME - someone must go and report back to me! And frankly, their publicity department should be ashamed of themselves. No postings on the Boston Singer's Resource? No postings on the Greater Boston Choral Consortium website? And why am I not on your press release e-mail list? Shame! (That last one is sort of a joke - only Concora (see below) has been savvy enough to add me to their press release e-mail list.)
At 8 pm, the Chorale and Women's Chorus of the Boston Conservatory will perform works by Schubert, Mendelssohn, and Handel. The concert will be at the Mary Baker Eddy Library, Hall of Ideas, and it's FREE! Directions are here.
On Saturday at 4 pm, there will be a celebration of the music of Irving Fine at Slosberg Hall at Brandeis. This looks very, very neat. More details at this website.
If you are down south, or out near/on the Cape, head over to Plymouth - Church of the Pilgrimage, Town Square (Leyden & Main Streets). The Pilgrim Festival Chorus will present a Spring concert, featuring Ralph Vaughan Williams Dona Nobis Pacem and Five Mystical Songs. This one is at 7:30, so don't be late! More info here. They will repeat this concert at 3 pm on Sunday at the same location.
Sunday:
You already know where you should be on Sunday at 5 pm - at King's Chapel, of course, as mentioned above.
However, there is some stiff competition for that time slot - The Oriana Consort will be performing at 5:30 pm at First Lutheran Church in Boston (Berkeley and Marlborough Streets.) This is the same concert program as last weekend, featuring motets by Palestrina, Andrea Gabrieli, Giovanni Gabrieli, and Claudio Monteverdi; J. S. Bach's cantata "Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich" (BWV 150); Randall Thompson's "Ye shall have a song"; Irving Fine's "Have you seen the white lily grow?" and more.
If you want to do some singing yourself, head on over to the Belmont Open Sings, and sing the Mozart Coronation Mass (which has perhaps my favorite Credo movement that I have yet run into.) 7:30 at the Payson Park Church, 365 Belmont Street, Belmont - and they even provide the scores! More information is here.
If you feel like tootling down to Connecticut (or if you are already there) the Concora women's chorus will be performing Rachmaninoff's Vespers. This will be at 7:30 at the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle, West Hartford, CT. More information is on their website; more information about the accompanying historical lecture and open rehearsal is here.
Also on Sunday: The Pilgrim Festival Chorus will repeat their Saturday program (see above).
The non-choral pick of the week is a concert performance of the musical Chess at the Boston Conservatory. It's on Friday at 8, Saturday at 2 and 8, and Sunday at 2. It's a great score, and I am willing to bet you'll hear some fabulous voices, so check it out!
Well, first off, of course you should come see ME sing. I'm joining the King's Chapel Choir for a concert on Sunday at 5 pm at (where else?) King's Chapel.
The program is called "Made in America: Choral Masterpieces" and will consist of:
Leonard Bernstein: Chichester Psalms
Aaron Copland: In The Beginning
Samuel Barber: Agnus Dei (Adagio for Strings)
Daniel Pinkham: The Creation of the World
Details: King's Chapel is located at the corner of Tremont and School Streets, one block from the Park Street T. Suggested donation is $12/$8, there are no advance ticket sales, and the doors open at 4:30. Validated concert parking is available for $7 at the One Beacon Street Garage.
I'm actually practicing hard for this one, and also, the mezzo soloist on the Copland is fabulous, as is the entire choir generally, so please do come! These are all pieces that any choral musician should be familiar with.
Other options? As usual, you are spoiled for choice.
First off, this weekend is "Singing at Tufts!" weekend. On Friday at 8 pm, the Tufts Third Day Gospel Choir will perform; on Saturday at 7 pm, Tufts will present the inaugural "Boston Area Young Men's Choral Festival" (actually this is an all-day event, with the evening performance at 7); and on Sunday at 3 pm, the Tufts Chamber Singers present English and American choral music. More information on all these fine events is here.
Friday:
On Friday, the Boston Secession presents "Justina Golden and The Amiable Consort." (I believe this means that the Secession themselves are not singing, although some of their members also sing with The Amiable Consort. Please correct me if you have further details.) They specialize in Hildegard von Bingen and solo and multi-part chant, so if that is your bag, baby, I suspect you won't want to miss this. 8pm on Friday, Gordon Chapel at Old South. More details are here.
Also, the Boston Camerata is having a concert at 8 pm at First Church in Cambridge, but I really can't figure out from their website whether or not it involves choral music. See what you think. (Scroll down to "Alla Turca.")
Saturday:
Usually I have an idea of what big events are coming up. But this one almost completely slipped by me. Emmanuel Music is performing Bach's B minor mass on Saturday at 8 pm! At Emmanuel Church in Boston, of course. This should be AWESOME - someone must go and report back to me! And frankly, their publicity department should be ashamed of themselves. No postings on the Boston Singer's Resource? No postings on the Greater Boston Choral Consortium website? And why am I not on your press release e-mail list? Shame! (That last one is sort of a joke - only Concora (see below) has been savvy enough to add me to their press release e-mail list.)
At 8 pm, the Chorale and Women's Chorus of the Boston Conservatory will perform works by Schubert, Mendelssohn, and Handel. The concert will be at the Mary Baker Eddy Library, Hall of Ideas, and it's FREE! Directions are here.
On Saturday at 4 pm, there will be a celebration of the music of Irving Fine at Slosberg Hall at Brandeis. This looks very, very neat. More details at this website.
If you are down south, or out near/on the Cape, head over to Plymouth - Church of the Pilgrimage, Town Square (Leyden & Main Streets). The Pilgrim Festival Chorus will present a Spring concert, featuring Ralph Vaughan Williams Dona Nobis Pacem and Five Mystical Songs. This one is at 7:30, so don't be late! More info here. They will repeat this concert at 3 pm on Sunday at the same location.
Sunday:
You already know where you should be on Sunday at 5 pm - at King's Chapel, of course, as mentioned above.
However, there is some stiff competition for that time slot - The Oriana Consort will be performing at 5:30 pm at First Lutheran Church in Boston (Berkeley and Marlborough Streets.) This is the same concert program as last weekend, featuring motets by Palestrina, Andrea Gabrieli, Giovanni Gabrieli, and Claudio Monteverdi; J. S. Bach's cantata "Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich" (BWV 150); Randall Thompson's "Ye shall have a song"; Irving Fine's "Have you seen the white lily grow?" and more.
If you want to do some singing yourself, head on over to the Belmont Open Sings, and sing the Mozart Coronation Mass (which has perhaps my favorite Credo movement that I have yet run into.) 7:30 at the Payson Park Church, 365 Belmont Street, Belmont - and they even provide the scores! More information is here.
If you feel like tootling down to Connecticut (or if you are already there) the Concora women's chorus will be performing Rachmaninoff's Vespers. This will be at 7:30 at the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle, West Hartford, CT. More information is on their website; more information about the accompanying historical lecture and open rehearsal is here.
Also on Sunday: The Pilgrim Festival Chorus will repeat their Saturday program (see above).
The non-choral pick of the week is a concert performance of the musical Chess at the Boston Conservatory. It's on Friday at 8, Saturday at 2 and 8, and Sunday at 2. It's a great score, and I am willing to bet you'll hear some fabulous voices, so check it out!
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
AMC Mountains and Music - Come with me!
Wouldn't you just love to go on vacation? Just for a weekend? The last weekend in April sounds good, doesn't it? Perhaps somewhere that has hiking, maybe a climbing wall? Oh, and some canoeing? And let's not forget the opportunity to make some music, both in a large chorus or orchestra and also in small pick-up chamber groups? You could bring that quartet you can never get anyone to try with you, and assemble a group to play it before lacing up your hiking boots.
Well, you're in luck! The Appalachian Mountain Club's Boston Chapter hosts a Mountains and Music weekend three times a year. The next weekend will be April 28-30, and yours truly will be the chorus director! (If you are a long-time reader, you may remember that I have done this before, and had a great time.) We need more people in the choir - we have no basses and few tenors right now, so we've actually decided go to with the Pergolesi Stabat Mater as the joint choral/orchestral piece. And if you are a stellar alto, you might get to do the alto solos (I already have a stellar soprano soloist - sorry, soprani!)
You can find more information and also a registration form here. The registration deadline is this Friday. Please sign up - it would be great to see some more friendly faces there!
Well, you're in luck! The Appalachian Mountain Club's Boston Chapter hosts a Mountains and Music weekend three times a year. The next weekend will be April 28-30, and yours truly will be the chorus director! (If you are a long-time reader, you may remember that I have done this before, and had a great time.) We need more people in the choir - we have no basses and few tenors right now, so we've actually decided go to with the Pergolesi Stabat Mater as the joint choral/orchestral piece. And if you are a stellar alto, you might get to do the alto solos (I already have a stellar soprano soloist - sorry, soprani!)
You can find more information and also a registration form here. The registration deadline is this Friday. Please sign up - it would be great to see some more friendly faces there!
Monday, April 07, 2008
Gig report: Anthology at the Harmony Sweepstakes
Last Saturday Anthology competed in the Boston Regional Harmony Sweepstakes. This was a bit of a stretch for us - after all, our core is currently classical, though we're playing around in a lot of directions, and this event is very firmly planted in a cappella/barbershop land. It was a good experience, though, and we did very well, especially considering we learned one of the songs in less than a week and we were operating outside our comfort zone. There were eight groups competing, and Syncopation won, which was totally and utterly correct - they were fantastic. But the people who really knocked our socks off were the barbershop group Men in Black, who won last year and hosted this year. Holy cow - the tuning! The stage presence and charm! The tight-harmony arrangements! Go check them out if they are in your area.
We performed Benedictus by Brahms, I Am Stretched On Your Grave arr. The Voice Squad, and I Am a Can of Tuna, by the Chenille Sisters. We felt that set represented our current range pretty well. That last one we first looked at the music for six days before Saturday - that is, a week ago today. And we memorized it. And I sang a walking bass line - new experience! - into a hand-held mic - new experience! well, except for karaoke - and it all went quite fine.
We got judging sheets, too. Some of the helpful criticisms covered vowel shaping, blending, use of vibrato, tuning, mic balance (though that's not exactly our fault) and visual presentation. I will share with you a few of the positive comments, including, of course, some of the ones that mentioned me.
"bold choice to start" - that was the Brahms
"beautiful sound"
"woman on (my right) - watch posture" - Yes, that would be me.
"Great bass line in Tuna" - Woohoo! That would be me, too, on my first bass line performance!
"Nice opening -- Allegra! fearless approach!" - That one is, of course, my favorite comment, coming from the judge that I already knew from somewhere else.
"Excellent diction - clear consonants - crisp"
"You present a poised and professional appearance!"
All in all, I thought it was a great learning experience, and also just plain fun, for all of us.
We performed Benedictus by Brahms, I Am Stretched On Your Grave arr. The Voice Squad, and I Am a Can of Tuna, by the Chenille Sisters. We felt that set represented our current range pretty well. That last one we first looked at the music for six days before Saturday - that is, a week ago today. And we memorized it. And I sang a walking bass line - new experience! - into a hand-held mic - new experience! well, except for karaoke - and it all went quite fine.
We got judging sheets, too. Some of the helpful criticisms covered vowel shaping, blending, use of vibrato, tuning, mic balance (though that's not exactly our fault) and visual presentation. I will share with you a few of the positive comments, including, of course, some of the ones that mentioned me.
"bold choice to start" - that was the Brahms
"beautiful sound"
"woman on (my right) - watch posture" - Yes, that would be me.
"Great bass line in Tuna" - Woohoo! That would be me, too, on my first bass line performance!
"Nice opening -- Allegra! fearless approach!" - That one is, of course, my favorite comment, coming from the judge that I already knew from somewhere else.
"Excellent diction - clear consonants - crisp"
"You present a poised and professional appearance!"
All in all, I thought it was a great learning experience, and also just plain fun, for all of us.
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